GO AHEAD, TAP THAT CLASS
GO AHEAD, TAP THAT CLASS
In the far eastern part of the beautiful island of the Dominican Republic, you will find the resort town of Punta Cana, the second most popular tourist destination in Latin America.
As frequent readers of BEING BOUJEE, you know we love to travel. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, we couldn’t do much of it and, at one point, even had to cancel a trip to Mexico, which was refunded as a Delta Vacations credit. Of course, the expiration date was nearing, so I had to find a destination for a July vacation. While I have visited Puerta Plata previously, Punta Cana was a new destination for me. Yep, I said it. I took this trip solo! In a future post, I will write about the benefits of being a solo traveler. Stay tuned for it!
Accommodations: I only had time to sneak away for five nights and selected a place based on the credit I had waiting for me on Delta Vacations. With that said, I had such a great experience at Live Aqua – Cancun that I decided to try Live Aqua – Punta Cana.
Upon check-in, I inquired about an upgrade to a room with a private pool. There wasn’t one available that evening, but the next night, one would be available for the remaining four nights. I wanted to relax in a pool most of the time, so I decided to go along with the $1,200 upgrade charge.
My first room was a pool-view room, and it was a great room. Had I not upgraded my room, I would have been thrilled with this room. The decor was modern, and the room was spotless. This room even had a private jacuzzi on the balcony! Of course, I was so excited to be in warm weather that I forgot to take pictures of this room. Silly me! So sorry, friends!
The next day, I moved to the room with a private pool, and wow! A room with a private pool, a butler, and unique amenities was so worth it!
The suite with a private pool included a separate living room, TVs in the living room and bedroom, a ton of closet space, and so much more! The suite consists of multiple free bottles of liquor in your in-room bar. Near the bar area and one of the luggage storage areas, you will find a butler area where you can place your used plates and glasses so they are out of your way but yet accessible to the staff from outside of your suite. It is a nice feature we have experienced at multiple resorts.
It is the outdoor space that makes this room the best! I love having a private pool. The pool is available 24 hours daily if you don’t bother your neighbors. Your private pool area is pretty remote, so I will let your mind wander about what could happen in the pool – just like the swinging chair on the patio area. Haha!
The service you receive in this suite is the best! On your patio, there is a white flag you can put up when you want bar service, and the servers will come to you – even if you are lounging in your pool! Get to know the bartenders – they are a hoot and so much fun to chat with daily!
The suite does give you access to the exclusive Aqua Club, but I wanted to be more impressed with the Aqua Club at this resort. It was small, with no view of the ocean or beach. If you are considering it, it isn’t worth the upgrade to Live Aqua Club.
The Aqua Club does give you access to a private check-in exclusive bar….and that’s about it. Again, I am not impressed with it.
A beautiful flower-covered walkway goes from the ground floor near the lobby bar to just before the Huzur restaurant. This is the perfect way to walk from the pools to the restaurants, as it provides shelter from the hot sun! Seeing the flowers hanging from the vines throughout the walkway is also magical.
TIP: If it is raining, you can walk from the buildings closest to the beach to the lobby covered and not get rained on. Just walk via the resort hallways from building to building, and you will be dry.
The food at the resort was excellent! I didn’t try any restaurants on-site but heard only good things about them. Here are the options at the resort:
♥ Liberi (Buffet – was only open for breakfast and lunch)
♥ Seishin (Asian infusion)
♥ Cool Fever (Coffee and Sweets)
♥ Sospiro (Italian)
♥ Compton St (Sports Bar)
♥ Chez Rose (Formal French)
♥ Miraflores (Cevicheria)
♥ ATL (Mexican)
♥ Huzur (Mediterranean)
Of course, there is also 24/7 room service available, and with my private pool, I may or may not have enjoyed lunch in my room a couple of times.
I enjoyed the breakfast buffet each morning. The build-your-own omelet station was a hit, and the build-your-own crepe! YUM! And starting your day with a mimosa can always go right.
There were so many options for breakfast and lunch. I guarantee everyone will find something to eat and come home a few pounds heavier. I came home about 9 lbs heavier with all the eating and drinking I did. It was so worth it!
TIP: You don’t need reservations at any restaurant, which is so convenient! Just show up!
If reserving a room with a private pool isn’t an option for you, don’t worry! You are guaranteed to have fun with the resort’s multiple pool options. Of course, the pool with the swim-up bar is always the party pool and the warmest temperature – especially later in the day. GROSS! If loud music and drunk adults aren’t your thing, two quieter pools are long and narrow, so getting a spot close to one of those two pools is effortless.
TIP: If you want to be around the adult pool and desire shade, I suggest you wake up early and put something on one of the chairs under a palapa. These spots are taken early; if having a shade option is crucial, get up and put a book(s) on the chairs you need.
The beach at LIVE AQUA, Punta Cana, is beautiful. They do a fantastic job cleaning up the seaweed and raking the beach each morning. Tons of chairs are available daily, and cabanas can be rented daily for a fee.
Would you be interested in a romantic dinner on the beach? That can be arranged (for a fee), and it looked so beautiful!
Want to go for a walk along the ocean? You should walk to the left (when facing the ocean). You will pass multiple other resorts and eventually arrive at local beach-style restaurants – none of which I tried but looked extremely local and exciting if you are feeling adventurous.
It was rainy and overcast one day, so I checked out the spa for a 90-minute massage. The water therapy experience would have felt amazing if it had been on a hot day, but it was cold since it was overcast and rainy outside! I walked through it once, then hid under my bathrobe and towel to warm up.
This odd rock area is at the back of the pool area. You are supposed to walk over the rocks as water sprays at your feet. I did it once, and that was plenty. Initially, it felt terrific, but about halfway through it, I wanted to abort the experience. Ha ha! But I made it across.
Overall Review: The resort is immaculate, the service and employees were excellent, and I enjoyed the food and drinks! Will I return? Maybe. Everything about the resort is perfect. However, I like to be in the pool and see the aqua-blue water from the pool. It seems silly, but it is one of those things I love to do, which makes revisiting this resort a big maybe.
I do love the Live Aqua service, though, so for that reason, I would check out another Live Aqua property. I love it when the employees put their hands over their hearts when they greet you and constantly say, “Welcome Home” or “Welcome Back Home” if you are a returning visitor.
Once I saw an outdoor pool at the VIP Priority Pass Lounge at Punta Cana airport, I knew it would be a must-visit spot! When traveling with included transfers, they tend to pick you up early for your departure, so I knew there would be plenty of time to visit the pool.
The Priority Pass Lounge is located in Terminal B near gate 24 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is a limit of two alcoholic drinks per adult when visiting, so keep that in mind. I did have THE BEST rum punch there, so I suggest trying one.
I am not sure of the cost to visit the lounge as I am a Priority Pass Lounge member, so I was able to access it for free! Another perk of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
No one was swimming when I was there, and I found the locker rooms at the end of my visit. Otherwise, I would have jumped in! It did feel amazing to dip my legs in the pool and listen to the loud airplanes outside – okay, the last part isn’t significant, but the first part was excellent.
TIP: There are locker-style rooms available if you want to swim! They are located outside and around the corner from the pool. There are showers available, but I didn’t see any towels.
LeAnn is a mentor and the ultimate BOUJEE glamour gal. When she left daily drudgery behind in favor of following her own personal path to joy, she made a promise to herself that she would help others do the same. All she’s ever wanted is to do is stay healthy, live her best life and give back to others by introducing them to their inner BOUJEE.
